New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-19
MIR. OBRIEN'S BAD HEALTH.
AGGRAVATED BY PRISON TREATMENT.
A STATEMENT FROM HIS MISREPRESENTATION
OF FATAL TERMINATION.
fBY TO THE TRIBUNE.l

Copyright; 1887 By the Ne,o. York Tribune
DUBLIN. Nov 19-Wlllam O'Bren and Mr. Mande-
vile were visited yesterday by DR.. Romaync, J. p, Of
Cork The impression which this distinguished sur
gcon and magistrate gathered from his visit will be
seen in the following entry which he made in the
prison book
a. notice a very great change in Mr.. O'Brcn, whom
I had seen about a month ago, both in color and
weight, and he seems unmlsakably drifting into
phthisls. He made a very serious complaint TO me
in very excited agitatcd manner about the stealing
# his clothcs-which seemed to have powerfully dc
pressed his mind-during which / had several times
10 calm his great agitation. attribute this change
to IHmcnt. TO the close cell confinement, In
nutritious food and unfit bedding and constant mental
worry. The consequence Of all this has been at
tack Of diarrhGa, and l am apprchensvc he is now
becoming victim to tuberculosis. He is naturally
of delicate constitution. All his relatives have
died Of phthsls, and he has had himself to reside in
Egypt for severe hGmoptyss. / also noticed he is
disfresSingly affected with myopia and sensitive rcna.
for all which reasons his Imprisonment should havo
been carefully and sklfully cd But instead
If this find he has been mmured in cold and arless
cell, put plank bed and kept on bread and water
til he nearly tainted from exhaustion, taken from his
cd cold winters morning and made to travel 100
miles. ! have no hesitation I'm saying this treatment
together with mental distress and partially damaged
constitution set up the dormant pulmonary tnbcrcc
and II pcrsevercd in will undoubtedly lead to fatal
termination.
a. suggested that Mr. O'Brcn be kept under con
stant medical that his food should be nutritious
and suitable to his condition, and that his clothing
should be and adapted to the cold season; and
above all that he be subjected to further mental
excitement If these suggestions for amcloratng his
condition be not adopted believe some sad, II not
fatal, mental or pulmonary breakdown must occur In
every respect entirely concur with the serious state
made by Dr. Moorchead concerning his case. !
consider, having regard to the present critical state,
that the medical members of the Prisons Board ought
to visit and to examine Mr.. O'Bren because as ply
siclan do not believe he possibly survive his
term Of Imprisonment.
Il wrote to tho Recorder of Cork who sentenced
Mr.. OBricn, to ask If he could possibly make Mr.
O'Bricn first class mSdcmcanant. In reply he said
he could not interfere. Tic wrote;
"'I did and do feel desirous that Mr.. O'Bren
should be subjected to any unnecessary indgnlty
l observed the dclicacy of his appearance and his
nervous exctablty. satisfied he Will be treated
with all the lenity that can be exercised toward him
No man can desire that any other treatment should be
accorded to him.
Il visited Mr. Vaudeville. found him rapidly losing
his ruddy complexion. and his flesh IS becoming
blanchcd and fabby with rapid respiration. lie com
planned that he put on puns diet and that
he has alredy felt It's weakening effects and was suf
ferng from diarrh a Of which he complained TO tho
prison doctor, who did nothing for him. suggested
that his bread and wa'cr be stopped and he be re-
moved to the nfirmary for appropriate treatment
This is a vc:y remarkable statement, and IS likely
to produce great effect in England. may mention
as showing how difficult II Is to get the truth about
Mr.. OBricn spread in England that tho full partic
ulars OF the robbery OF Mr. OBricn's clothes did not
appear In any English paper and that the first ap
proach to a detailed account that has been gvcn IS
'''" dispatch which appears in "The Daily News
sent from Ncw-York to-day, and giving summary Of
my dispatch TO you the other evening.
am in a position TO state that Mr.. John Morley
will address A meeting in Dublin on the oath 10 cx
press Indignation at the treatment Of Mr. O'Brcn.
r. f. GILL, VI. l..